


Paradise Circus

by scrattched



Category: Pokemon GO
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Attachment Issues, Daddy Issues, Dubcon Kissing, Fingering, M/M, Praise Kink, transman arlo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:34:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrattched/pseuds/scrattched
Summary: Arlo navigates being lead scientist and team leader for PGO Rocket. Giovanni finds hiring his replacement-son to be an amusing, and fruitful endeavor.
Relationships: Arlo/Sakaki | Giovanni
Kudos: 32





	Paradise Circus

**Author's Note:**

> mind the warnings for later chapters and as to the direction this fic will be heading toward.

"You've done quite well for yourself, haven't you?” Giovanni asks, turning his jaw.

Arlo sits up a little straighter when he hears the clack of his report fall onto his desk. A report Arlo was sure to impress his new boss. Usually, he's not one to hold his tongue, but this was different. This wasn't like how it was with Professor Willow, who'd tolerate his talk-back and clipped tisks and scowls.

Now Arlo quietly taps his pointer finger on his knee just to keep still and in control. He didn't dare run his mouth here. Although, who really knew with Giovanni. Arlo got the sense that he wasn’t hired for being docile. Whichever the case, his new boss was becoming an increasingly difficult man to parse. Despite being accepted as lead scientist a few months ago, there wasn't much he knew about his new patron. And the less he knew, the less he had to work with.

He grips his fist atop his thigh.

"My research is progressing much faster than I anticipated," Arlo speaks carefully, darting his eyes wayward. “I am relieved you are able to recognize the importance of my work."

A beat passes, and the window slats filtering the sun starts to burn Arlo's lap.

In the shadow of a pillar, Giovanni inhales, as if considering him anew. 

"Someone must, shouldn't they?”

Arlo slides his gaze forward, narrowing a poorly disguised glare.

Giovanni rises from his desk and skims his fingers across Arlo's report, as if in afterthought.

"Someone like you can't quite manage to carry on without a few words of encouragement…can they?” he says.

A blaze of heat climbs up the back of Arlo's neck and spreads fire onto his cheeks. He isn't quite sure how much he knows about his time in team Valor, but it begins to run a tight wire around his patience.

“I’m not sure what you mean sir…” Arlo furrows his brow, trailing his eyes to watch him round the corner of his desk.

“Don’t you?” 

Giovanni waits a little longer this time before he speaks again, instead, taking the time to rake his gaze from Arlo’s frown to his clenched fist. “We both know why you’re here, after all…”

Arlo feels his body itch.

“I’m here because I want to be here," Arlo clarifies, a pitch louder and his jaw set. "I don’t need anybody’s approval anymore. I conduct my research regardless if anyone decides if I’m important or not. It doesn’t ma-“

“If you’re important?” Giovanni interrupts, raising a brow. He turns towards him. “Your research should speak for itself. Or…perhaps you’re saying it can’t...”

Arlo finds Giovanni’s dark gaze fixed directly on him. His expression cool, and patient. No, this definitely isn’t like Willow, or Candela, for that matter. This is something far colder. Hotter. Something that starts to make his heart race.

"It works, doesn't it," Arlo spits, the words sinking through like acid. "You have a new fleet of mindless drones, ready, at your disposal. Because of _me_. Without my research, you'd still be depending on grunts to steal pokemon who'd hardly listen to you. And what's even the point, then, if they're not going to obey..."

A flicker of a smile flashes its way across Giovanni's lips. He pockets one of his hands and takes the next few moments to nod and pace about to the front of his desk. A photo catches his eye as he speaks.

"You're definitely right about that, Arlo. Not much can be done without obedience..."

\---------

A bright red error message flashes on the screen.

Arlo lets a breath pass through his nostrils.

_[Incorrect sequence. Error. Incompatible. Try again.]_

He taps in a new string of genetic modifiers onto the keyboard before he hovers over the enter button. Maybe he can hold off for the night. It doesnt need to be done today. And even if he’s right, there’s the rest of the genome to decode. Instead, Arlo takes his hand back and relaxes his shoulders. He takes off his glasses and leans back in his work chair. It’s been a long, long night, and the scratch from rubbing his eyes brings on a new wave of exhaustion.

Part of him knows this contract can’t last for very long. Staying with Giovanni and the rest is merely a means to an end. A stepping stone in the right direction. He didn't think this would be how he would make a name for himself, but it’s decidedly a lot more meaningful than whatever was happening with Willow and Candela.

There was no future there, he reassures himself, laying an arm over his eyes. whatever research he’d come up with—it wouldn’t be good enough. Too radical. Too extreme. Never just what the professor wanted. But in order for any kind of research to progress, daring leaps and bounds have to be made. At least with Giovanni, he didn’t have to worry whether his research pleased him or not. What mattered, he said, is that is works. And works well.

He thinks about her, briefly, amid his reassurance. And the pokemon he'd spent countless hours training, all so that one day he could even come close to beating candela. But none of it mattered. Even when he outranked her by leagues, she seemed to always be one step ahead.

Arlo shifts his arm aloft to read the clock.

11:57pm.

It's not like he needs to be anywhere anymore. Giovanni’s scheduling is surprisingly lax. The only requirements in his contract as far as timing went were strange, but not completely undoable.

Arlo sits up in his seat and straightens his posture. If there was one thing he wished was just a little different, it was this. But it’s unavoidable. He opens his phone and logs into an encrypted messaging app. He types up Giovanni’s contact information and scans over the endless questions to even reach the chat log. He hasn't pre-programmed a shortcut for him yet. And it’s to be kept that way.

_[im turning in for the night. i’ve uploaded the new modifications into the system. these should work for a new batch. i’ll test them out in the wild tomorrow.]_

Arlo hits send and tosses his phone aside to start packing his bag for the night. He raises an eyebrow when he hears a chime no less than a few seconds later.

That was fast.

_[Very good Arlo. Your tenacity is unmatched.]_

Arlo purses his lips and tries not to feel too proud from some throwaway praise. He doesnt need anyone to tell him what he already knows. And especially not after the conversation they had a few days ago. So it comes as a surprise when the chime goes off again. Arlo arcs his brow down at his phone.

_[Meet me in my suite. You know the code. I have something important to give you.]_

Important?

He doubts that.

Arlo pulls his jacket over his head and slips into his boots before unplugging his equipment and spooling them back into his bag. Whats important, he mentally replies, is cracking the common denominator among most pokemon types. The clearer, and more comprehensive the genome template, the easier it’ll be to convert them into whichever tool they need to be. So far he’s only done a small pool of pokemon, most on the weaker end of the gene pool, but he’s managed to crack even some of the more unruly, but powerful specimens. Of course, even those didn’t quite stand up to typing deficiencies. But, that's to be expected. And to be tested in ways that Willow never would have approved of...

Arlo shuts down the rest of his work station and throws his bag around his shoulder. He’s standing in the doorway of his darkened lab, grasping at his backpack strap when he thinks about her again.

How she didn't need to tamper with pokemon in order to make a name for herself.

Arlo tightens his grip.

**Author's Note:**

> ive had this whole thing in my notes app since march, but since i type like this, no capitalization, and hardly any punctuation, im gonna be editing it to a readable format like the one above throughout the next few days for the next set of chapters. see u next time ✌🏽


End file.
